Springfield House Fire

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

News Release 12-44
Date: June 21, 2012

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a house
fire, Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at approximately 3 p.m., in the
Springfield area of Fairfax County. The single-family home is
located at 8725 Etta Drive in Springfield.

Firefighters encountered smoke and fire coming from the two-story
single-family home with fire emitting from the roof of the structure and
fire throughout the attic area. Firefighters initiated an initial
interior attack with hand lines from the second floor of the structure
but were forced to retreat and perform a brief exterior fire attack due
to the roof becoming weak and collapsing onto the second floor. Crews
then utilized elevated master stream operations and exterior hose lines
to knock down the fire and then re-entered the structure to complete the
extinguishment.

There was one adult occupant home at the time of the fire. He was
alerted by a passerby and escaped without injury. There were two
firefighters injured on the scene with non-life threating injuries. Both
were transported to area hospitals.

Two other occupants were displaced, bringing the total to three. Red
Cross support was not needed.

Damage is estimated to be $320,000.

Fire Investigators determined the fire to be accidental with the
cause being electrical in the area of the attic fan.

For more information, call Daniel L. Schmidt or Captain I Randal Bittinger,
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, 703-246-3801 and TTY: 711.
Duty PIO (Weekends/After-hours): 703-877-3702
Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs,
services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request.
4100 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030fire-rescue.PA-LSEAfairfaxcounty.gov